The »throwaway society« is our way of life: according to Hartmut Rosa we don’t buy something because we need it but because we want to have it. In recent decades, the physical wear and tear of materials has been replaced by ethical wear. Opposing trends are becoming noticeable. Social scientists predict a society in which there is less possession and more sharing. But will this new consumer awareness really change our lives or is it a paradoxical trend in mainstream commodification? Joachim Klöckner from Berlin is convinced that consumption makes you happy for exactly eight seconds. He focuses on the long-term effect: on the freedom to make your own decisions, engaging with others in a friendly and sympathetic manner, cooperation, and the ability to do things the way you choose to do them.